Oven-Roasted Chicken Tikka

Using a mortar and pestle, bash the ginger, garlic and green chile pepper with a pinch of salt until the mixture turns into a paste. (Or, very finely chop them together on a cutting board.) In a bowl, combine the ginger mixture, chicken, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, yogurt, chili powder, turmeric, cumin seeds, sugar, paprika and garam masala. Chill, covered, for 15 minutes or up to 2 hours (the longer the better).

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease two rimmed baking sheets, or line them with parchment paper or nonstick foil. Shake excess marinade off the chicken, then distribute the pieces between the pans. (Or thread chicken on skewers so it's easier to turn while cooking. Be sure to wash hands after, due to the hot peppers in the marinade.) Bake 20 minutes, turning once.